Congressman Sorensen Calls on Congress to Fund His Bipartisan Law to Create Jobs, Boost Local Economies
Congressman Sorensen is Calling on Congress to Provide $50 Million to the Critical Supply Chain Site Development Grant Program Established by His Bipartisan ONSHORE Law
Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee urging them to fund the Critical Supply Chain Site Development Grant Program at the Department of Commerce in the Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriations bills with $50 million. The Critical Supply Chain Site Development Program provides grants to local communities for site readiness improvements, such as connecting sites to utilities, completing environmental reviews, and investing in workforce training.
“Business in the Quad Cities and beyond are telling me they’re ready to break ground and hire new workers thanks to the passage of my bipartisan ONSHORE Act,” said Congressman Sorensen. “This law has the potential to unlock untapped economic development, but we need to make sure the resources are there to make these new projects a reality. I'm calling on Congress to ensure we fully fund the grant program under the law, so we can help uplift communities across Illinois’ 17th district.”
“The Quad Cities is primed for investment, but site readiness is impeding growth,” said Peter Tokar, President & CEO of the Quad Cities Chamber. “Like the rest of the country, we are in need of new tools in the toolbox to meet our region’s full economic potential.”
“We applaud Congressman Sorensen and the bipartisan coalition that helped pass the Critical Supply Chain Site Development Program into law and the current bipartisan effort to deliver funding for this necessary tool,” said Ryan Sempf, Executive Director Government Affairs for the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce.
The program was established by Congressman Sorensen and Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks' (IA-01) bipartisan Opportunities for Non-developed Sites to Have Opportunities to be Rehabilitated for Economic Development (ONSHORE) Act. The law focuses on attracting new manufacturing jobs and businesses to communities like the Quad Cities by addressing the issue of unused sites and making them shovel-ready for development. Local leaders and businesses have said that preparing sites for development is one of the biggest obstacles to attracting manufacturing businesses to the area.